Conductor path arrangement for fixed value storer

ABSTRACT

A FIXED VALUE STORER FOR TRANSFORMER CORES, IN WHICH THE TRANSFORMER CORES EXTEND THROUGH OPENINGS IN A SHEET-FORM CARRIER WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH CONDUCTOR PATHS FOR CONTROL, THE CONFIGURATION OF THE CONDUCTOR PATHS DETERMINING THE   STORED-IN INFORMATION BY THE PARTICULAR MAGNETIC LINKAGES TO THE TRANSFORMER CORES.

United States Patent lmentor Appl. No Filed Patented Assignee Priority Gunther Rapp Munich, Germany Dec. 4, 1968 June 28. 1971 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Berlin and Munich. Germany Dec. 12, 1967 Germany CONDUCTOR PATH ARRANGEMENT FOR FIXED VALUE STORER 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl .1

Int. Cl .1

340/174 G110 17/00, G1 16 ll/O4,Gl 1c 7/02 Ht)! Field of Search 340/174 [561 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3195.1 10 12/1966 Bl'lCk et a1 i. 340/174X 3.474,424 10/1969 TS1J1 340 174 Primary Examiner-Stanley M. Urynowicz, Jr. Attorney-Hill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross and Simpson ABSTRACT: A fixed value storer for transformer cores, in which the transformer cores extend through openings in a sheet-form carrier which is provided with conductor paths for control, the configuration ofthe conductor paths determining the stored-in information by the particular magnetic linkages to the transformer cores.

PATENTEU JUH28 i971 Fig.1 (PR|oR ART) INVENTOR 012'!) fher' gap a BY ATTYS.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to magnetic memories and more particularly to information storers which employ magnetic couplings between reading windings andtransformers for determining the information content of the storers.

27 Description of the Prior Art Fixed value storers of this general type are known per se, for example, in the publication IBM JOURNAL," Sept., 1964, pp. 443 ff., an arrangement is described in which the transformers extend through a pack of sheet-formed carriers. On each carrier there are applied two conductor path systems, which in each case surround on all sides one of the two legs of the transformers. Interruptions are provided in the conductor path systems as an information item. For example, a logical can be stored in this manner in that the transformer core is not appreciably magnetically coupled to the allocated conductor path and a logical I can be stored by employing somewhat the same techniques in a manner that the transformer core is magnetically coupled to the conductor path. On each sheetformed carrier there is arranged a series of transformer cores. Inasmuch as each leg of the transformer core may or may not be magnetically coupled to the conductor path systems, two bits per transformer may be stored in any one location.

It is also known to dispose the conductor paths on each sheet of a stack so that the several rows of transformer cores lie adjacent to one another. Each transformer core is connected or not connected magnetically with one conductor path. The information is stored in the sheet by the above techniques wherein the allocated transformer core may or 'may not be magnetically coupled to the conductor path. To

accomplish this selective coupling, the conductor path is correspondingly interrupted. A logical 0" may be stored if the conductor path is interrupted in such a way that the drive current in the path which constitutes a reading winding flows outside and around the leg of the transformer core. Similarly, a

logical l may be stored if the conductor path is interrupted in such a way that the drive current can flow only between the legs of the transformer.

As the current traverses the conductor path all of the transformer cores which are appreciably magnetically linked to the path are magnetically excited. The magnetic flux rising in the transformer cores induces in the reading winding of those cores corresponding voltage which are evaluated as reading signals. The reading windings are wound on one of the legs of each transformer.

The form of the reading signals, however, depends not only on the flux caused by the current in the transformer cores, since there exists a magnetic coupling to the immediately adjacent conductor paths and transformers. There, the transformer rows are mainly influenced with interference effect by the adjacent conductor paths and adjacent transformer rows, respectively. The consequences of such interfering couplings are that the reading signals of the transformer rows which are not adjacent each other are different from those of the transformer rows which are adjacent each other. A disadvantage in evaluating the reading signals resides in the phase displacement which can exist between the reading signals of the transformer rows wherein the rows are not adjacent but somewhat coupled, and wherein the rows are adjacent and have a greater coupling. In addition, there is the problem that the amplitudes of the reading signals are not uniform due to interfering couplings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above disadvantages are avoided by the provision of a fixed value storer according to the present invention, such a storer being characterized in that each sheet-formed carrier consists of two sections containing conductor paths and that for the magnetic decoupling of the transformers the adjacent conductor paths of the sections are driven in such a way that the drive current in these conductor paths flows in the same direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention, its organization, construction and operation will be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a schematic representation of a fixed value storer known in the prior art; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a fixed value storer provided in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Briefly, and before a detailed discussion of the present invention, the prior art storer of FIG. 1 will be discussed in order that a clear description of the invention may follow.

In FIG. 1 there is represented a fixed value storer wherein the form of the reading signals; in addition to depending upon the flux caused by the current in the transformer cores, also depends upon the particular magnetic couplings between the conductor paths and transformers. In FIG. 1 the transformer cores (not shown) have their legs extending through pairs of vertically adjacent holes H provided in a carrier A. The transformers rows RI and R4 are illustrated as being primarily in fluenced with interference effect by the adjacent conductor paths and the transformer rows R2 and R3, respectively, while the rows R2 and R3 are magnetically coupled with their respective conductor paths and transformer rows R1, R3 and R2, R4, respectively. The consequences of these magnetic couplings are that the reading signals of the transformer rows R1 and R4 have a different form of those of the transformer rows R2 and R3. The phase displacement which is provided due to such couplings between the reading signals of the transformer rows R1 and R4 and of the rows R2 and R3 is disad vantageous in evaluating the output signals. The magnetic cross-couplings provide for a decrease in the amplitude of the reading signals.

The foregoing discussion of magnetic couplings is best understood with reference to the current I. When a current I flows, a magnetic flux is produced in those transformers of the transformer rows R1 through R4 which are included within the conductor path L. This flux is considered as the useful flux. An interference flux is generated due to the magnetic field established by the current I in the adjacent conductor path and to stray flux of the transformers of the adjacent transformer rows. This interference flux covers or clouds the useful flux. The transformers of the transformer rows R1 and R4 are therefore primarily influenced by the stray flux of the transformers of the correspondingly adjacent transformer rows R2 and R3, respectively and by the magnetic field of the conductor path which is assigned to the corresponding adjacent transformer rows R2 and R3, respectively. The transformers of the transformer rows R2 and R3, quite contrary to the just-mentioned couplings, are disturbed by the stray flux of the transformers of the corresponding adjacent transformer rows R1, R3 and R4, R2, respectively. In addition, the magnetic field of the conductor paths assigned to the transformer rows R1 and R3 interfere with the useful flux of the transformers in the transformer row R2. Likewise, current flow through the conductor paths assigned to the transformer rows R2 and R4 interfere with the useful flux of the transformers in the transformer row R3. Due to these flux interferences, the reading signals taken off at the reading windings of the transformers of rows R2 and R3 have a different shape than those taken off by the reading windings of the transformers of rows R1 and R4.

The above disadvantage is avoided by the fixed value storer of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2. The storer of FIG. 2 is characterized in that each sheet-formed character comprises a plurality of sections in which the conductor paths have a particular configuration which provides for a decoupling of the transformers.

The above is particularly illustrated in FIG. 2 wherein a sheet-formed carrier 13 is provided into two sections S1 and S2. Each section S1 and S2 consists of two conductor paths section L1, L2 and L3, L4, respectively. The conductor sections Ll-L4 are connected in series. To each of the conductor path sections L1L4 there is allocated a transformer row R11, R12, R13 and R14, respectively, having transformer cores (not shown) whose legs extend through the openings V of the conductor sections and which on both sides of the stack of sheet-formed carriers are closed by yokes into a magnetic circuit.

The storing of information is provided as discussed with regard to the prior art apparatus. In order to obtain a reading signal of as great an amplitude as possible, the reading winding is wound onto one of the legs of the transforms (also not shown).

To read from the fixed-value storer, a drive current I is sent through the conductor paths. 1n the transformer cores which are magnetically coupled through the conductor path there arises a magnetic flux which induces a voltage in the corresponding reading windings. On this useful voltage there is heterodyned an interference voltage due to flux from the adjoining transformers and conductor sections, which interference flux distorts the reading signals. Through the arrangement according to the invention it is provided that the reading signals from all the transformers rows Rll-R14, despite the occurrences of such interference fluxes, have the same form, so that at the time of reading the output signals, such signals can be correctly evaluated. Therefore, through amplitude discrimination, for example, it is possible to distinguish between a logical 0" and a logical l As section S1 is viewed alone during the reading process, a magnetic coupling is possible only between the conductor paths sections L1, L2 of the corresponding transformer rows R11, R12. Inasmuch as both conductor paths sections L1, L2 are traversed by the same reading current I and as other conditions for the magnetic coupling, for example, the magnetic resistances of the air between the transformer rows R11, R12 and conductor sections L1, L2 are equal, the magnetic coupling between the transformer rows R11, R12 is about equal; therefore, the signals read have the same form. The same manner of operation holds if the section S2 is considered alone.

ln addition to the foregoing, however, there also exists a magnetic coupling between the sections S1, S2, and particu larly between the immediately adjacent transformer rows R 12, R13. This magnetic coupling becomes negligibly small in that between the sections S1, $2 the magnetic field is made very small. For this purpose, the adjacent conductors sections L2, L3 of the adjacently located sections S1, S2 are disposed relative each other in the circuit such that when driven the drive current 1 in these conductor sections L2, L3 flows in the same direction. The magnetic field of the conductor path section L2 is then oppositely directed to the magnetic field of the conductor path section L3 in the space between the conductor sections L2, L3. The two partial magnetic fields virtually cancel one another out. The magnetic coupling between the sections S1, S2, is therefore negligible as compared to the magnetic coupling which exists between the transformer rows within the sections S1 and S2.

The form of the signals read is therefore determined solely by the magnetic relations within the sections S1, S2. Since, however, it has already been stated that the reciprocal magnetic coupling of the transformer rows within the sections S1, S2 is the same, the form of the signals read from the reading windings of the transformer rows is the same.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the conductor path sections are connected in series. In order to provide that the current in the adjacent conductor sections of the adjacently lying sections flows in the same direction, the conductor path loop, as viewed from the terminal points, in the section S1 runs in opposite direction than in the section S2 (see the arrows in FIG.

Although the invention has been described by reference to a specific illustration of an embodiment thereof, many changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

lclaim:

1. In a fixed value storer of the type wherein the legs of transformer cores extend through openings of sheet-formed carriers, on which carriers are provided conductive path sections selectively embracing legs of the transformer cores to selectively store information, the improvement therein comprising the provision of a plurality of carrier sections each of which contains two of said conductor path sections connected in series circuit such that current in one of said two conductor path sections flows in the opposite direction with respect to the same current in the other of said two conductor path sections, and wherein the adjacent conductor path sections of adjacent carrier sections are disposed and connected in series such that the current through said adjacent conductor path sections is in the same direction to effect a magnetic decoupling between said adjacent carrier sections and between their associated transformer cores. 

